At least 11 people were killed and 50 wounded as two Russian missiles hit a crowded mall in the city of Kremenchuk in central Ukraine on Monday.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, there were more than 1,000 people in the mall when the missile attack happened that resulting in a massive fire in the area.
Firefighters and soldiers conducted a search operation for survivors as they remove debris in the area of the incident, as per a report from Reuters.
Zelensky noted on Telegram that it is "impossible even to imagine the number of victims." He also blasted Russia, saying it is "useless to hope for decency and humanity" from Moscow, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.
⚡️ Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a video of a fire in a shopping center in Kremenchug
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 27, 2022
"The occupiers launched a missile strike at shopping center. There were more than a thousand civilians. The mall is on fire, rescuers are extinguishing fire, number of victims is unimaginable." pic.twitter.com/Src2qh3Tdf
Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, condemned the missile strike and dubbed Russia a "disgrace to humanity" and stressed that they "must face consequences," per Business Insider.
Kuleba posted on Twitter: "The response should be more heavy arms for Ukraine, more sanctions on Russia, and more businesses leaving Russia."
The attack has already been verified to have killed 11 people, according to Dmytro Lunin, the governor of the central Poltava area, who also stated on Telegram that more fatalities are likely to be discovered as rescue personnel continues to search through the burning ruins.
Lunin also posted on Telegram that 29 additional persons received first assistance without being admitted to the hospital, while 21 other people were hospitalized.
Russian Forces Continue To Pound Ukrainian Cities
The incident "hit a very crowded area, which is 100% certain to have no connections to the armed forces," Mayor Vitaliy Maletskiy posted on Facebook.
At the time of the attack, Russia was "pouring fire" on the city of Lysychansk from the ground and the air, according to the local governor, as it was waging a full-scale assault on the last Ukrainian stronghold in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
Kremenchuk is a city in central Ukraine on the Dneiper River, approximately five hours drive southeast of Kyiv and removed from the frontlines of battle in the country's south and east.
After driving Ukrainian troops from the neighboring city of Sievierodonetsk in recent days, Russian forces looked to increase their longer-range assaults on the country.
US, NATO Vow Support For Ukraine
Meanwhile, as per Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of NATO, leaders of the West vowed to continue their support to Kyiv. During the alliance's summit in Spain, they will decide to provide more military assistance to Ukraine, including secure communication and anti-drone equipment, as reported by NPR.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed that the US support for Ukraine will continue and will hold Russia accountable for its "string of atrocities."
Zelenskyy delivered a remote message to the G7 conference this week, pleading with the leaders of the participating nations to dispatch more air defense systems and strive to finish the war this year.
According to a senior US defense official, Russia launched up to 60 airstrikes on Ukraine over the weekend. Per Reuters, it was unclear whether most of the strikes were a reaction to the G7 summit or the deployment of HIMARS in Ukraine.
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